Record-indicating file.



W. M. WEBB.

ORD INDICATING 4 23,1912. 1,061,790. PatentedMayw, 1913.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT ernten.

WILMER lVI. WEBB, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RECORD-INDICATING FILE.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILMER M. Vn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Record-Indicating Files, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a book-like tile or laminated structure wherein records of any desired character, and especially those varying from time to time, may be kept; the arrangement of parts being such that the act of making each entry not only indicates such record on the face of the leaf on which it is placed, but also produces a mark or other` visible symbol cooperating with other similar marks or symbols formed en other .pages to produce a so called curve or indicating line, graphically illustrating the variations of the different numbers recorded.

Another object of my invention is to provide a record indicating file having a ref erence sheet and a series of blank sheets so arranged that the entries made on the latter shall at any time cooperate to provide a curve or line showing the variation in the numbers or amounts of the units employed in making the various records.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a record indicating file constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of the reference page or scale preferably employed as part of my invention; Fig. 3 is a plan of a part of one of the record sheets or pages; and Fig. 4L is a fragmentary plan illustrating a slightly modified form of record page which may be used in place of that shown in Fig. 3.

In the above drawings, 1 represents the cover portions of any desired form of loose leaf binder or other holder provided with loose rings 2 or any other device or means for retaining within it a number of leaves or pages. In the present instance, I provide any desired and suitable number of such leaves or pages of which the uppermost of the series is shown at 3, and these, while having the greater part of their sur faces blank, in order that they may receive any desired records or material, are provided along their outer edges with a series of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1 913.

serial No. 692,638.

graduations or other arrangement of lines forming a scale 4t. Adjacent one of the backs of the binder l preferably mount a sheet or page 5 of somewhat greater width than that of the pages 3 and on this sheet I print or otherwise pla-ee a scale, or series of graduations (3, preferably corresponding with and similar to the graduations on the sheets 3. In the case of this reference scale however, I mark upon it mm'ibers indicating the amounts or units for which the various lilies stand and in the outer margin of the page, I may place any desired symbols or lettering to indicate the particular thing indicated or referred to by the scale.

Under conditions of use, any desired facts or information may be entered on each of the sheets or pages 3 and one or more marks made at its edge to indicate the particular quantity or amount which it is desired to record; this mark being so made that it is not only visible when viewed from above, as indicated at 3, but may also be seen at or at least in some visible manner atl'ect, the edge of the page 3 at that portion thereof at right angles to its main surface. As a result of such marks being made on a number of the successive pages 3, there is formed on the substantially vertical surface provided by the column of leaves a line 7 commonly known as a curve which graphically shows the rise and fall, or more broadly speaking, the variation, which has occurred in the amounts of the things or units represented by the various marks. For example in the case illustrated, the scale on the reference sheet (3 has been so designed that between the lines a and I), the divisions each represent twenty units, while between the lilies Y) and nl the divisions each represent 100 units; the units in both instances being dollars.

As before noted, the lines of the scale 4t formed on edge of each of the record sheets or pages 3 correspond in number and are directly over the lines of the reference scale G so that if, for example, that part of the reference scale between the lines Z) and (Z be taken to represent the dollars worth of sales made each day, the mark 8 on the uppermost record sheet 3 would properly indicate that on the date shown, thc sales were $1700.00. Similarly, if that portion of the scale 6 between the lines a and b be considered as representing dollars worth of profits, then the mark 9 may represent a profit on the date noted of $307.00. The Vmarks 8 and 9 on the record page 3 are eX- tended to the longitudinal edge of the said page so that they both appear on the vertical portion of said edge in each instance. Then therefore a number of the record sheets are marked and mounted on the retaining rings or hooks 2, all the various marks 8 will cooperate to form a curvev 7 which will graphically show the variations in the amounts of sales made between the periods represented by the dates of the lower-most and top -most record sheets 3. Similarly the marks 9 on all the record sheets will cooperate to form a second curve 1 0 which will graphically illustrate the variations in the amounts of proiits for the same period as'indicated above. It is of course obviously immaterial just what form of mark or indicating symbol be made in or upon each recordI sheets 3, since in some instances l mav punch or notch the edge of said sheets as indicated at 11 and 12 to form a mark which is visible when the sheet or page is viewed from above as well as when it is looked at from the edge. Again, it is not always necessary that a separate leaf 5 and reference scale 6 be provided, since as in the case shown in F ig. t, I may print numbers o-n each record page adjacent its record scale to indicate the values intended to be represented by the divisions of the latter. In any case, however, the important feature of the invention is the provision of a binder or other form of leaf or page holding structure having within or on it a number of sheets or leaves which may be removable or not as desired (preferably t-he former) each leaf being provided with a scale on or adjacent which a mark or symbol may be made in such a manner as to be visible both when the sheet is viewed from above and also when it is viewed from the edge. The marks on the edges of various pages then cooperate in such manner that there is formed a line giving' visible indication of the variations in the numbers or units recorded from time to time on said pages.

It is to be understood that while a r-ecord indicating file made according to my invention may be provided with b-lank record sheets 8 having their scales 4; ready to receive the marks or symbols above referred to, a file as a complete article of manufacture is also contemplated as part of said invention, inasmuch as any recorded statistics or other record made on a number of sheets may well be shown in graphical form in a complete book or file by the employment of the marks or symbols made as previously described.

It is of course obvious that any desired number and arrangement of scales with a corresponding number of recording marks may be placed on the edge of `each page 8 without departing from my invention, and it is immaterial whether the leaves or sheets bek mounted between backs so as to constitute a book or whether they are used in t-he form of cards in a boX or holder, so the curve 'xlresulting from a series of symbols made oirtheir edges is visible from above.

l claim:

l. As a new article of manufacture a record indicating device consisting of holding means and a plurality of leaves mounted therein each having a mark on its edge placed to indicate a predetermined number and cooperating with similar marks on other leaves to form a curve; with a reference scale provided with numbers and places to cooperate with the marks on said leaves.

2. The combination of a leaf receiving structure; a series of record leaves mounted therein each having on the same margin thereof a record indicating symbol placed to indicate a predetermined number and visible both on the face and on the edge thereof, in position to coperate with similar symbols on other leaves to form a line; and a reference scale placed to co-perate with the symbols on said record leaves.

3. As a new article of manufacture, the combination of a leaf supporting structure; a series of independent leaves each having a scale adjacent the same margin thereof; means for retaining` said leaves in a pile, one upon the other; with a reference scale carried by the structure and mounted in a definite relation to the scales on said leaves.

et. The combination of a leaf supporting structure; a series of record receiving .leaves mounted thereon and each provided with a scale adjacent the same margin thereof, there being a number indicating symbol on the scale of each leaf placed in position to be visible from the face thereof, as well as from the edge.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILMER M. WEBB. lvitnesses VILLiAM E. BRADLEY, Jos. H. KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

